'I'm paying £500 a week to do my job after my car was recalled for deadly fault'

A veterinary surgeon has been forced to spend over £1,000 after her car was suddenly hit with a deadly 'do not drive' fault. Earlier this month, a whopping 120,000 Citroen vehicles in the UK were recalled due to a critical airbag safety issue.

As previously reported, the rare warning was initiated by Citroen's parent company Stellantis after they discovered affected airbags could, under certain circumstances, explode — posing a severe risk of injury or death to any occupants. The news follows the French transport ministry issuing a 'stop-drive' recall on 2.5 million vehicles with Takata airbags, following 18 deaths in the country.

READ MORE: Martin Lewis MSE warning for 120,000 drivers hit with deadly car recall

In the UK, the recall only affects the following models:

• Citroen C3 (manufactured from 2009 to 2019)
• Citroen DS3 (manufactured from 2009 to 2016)
• DS Automobiles DS3 (manufactured from 2016 to 2019)

Dr Olivia Jones, who lives in Cumbria but is from Harrogate, purchased her second-hand Citroen car in 2020 for around £2,500. But in the past two weeks, she has spent almost half of that on a rental car, after receiving a letter demanding she stop driving her vehicle until it could get repaired.

Breaking this order risks a series of legal repercussions including a hefty fine, points on your licence and even a driving ban. In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Dr Jones described the ordeal as 'one big mess' that has been 'extremely stressful' for her.

"I'm living in an area where there isn't public transport near my home, and due to the nature of my job, I'm required to do night shifts and home visits," she added. "Therefore, being without a car is not an option. I'm now having to pay £500 a week (plus a £200 deposit!) for a rental until I am provided with a courtesy car."

Dr Jones has not been told when - or if - she will receive a courtesy car, and has been told there is no guarantee that she will be reimbursed for the cost of the rental car. "All I know is that I'm on the waiting list," she explained.

More recently, Dr Jones was informed that the garage is still waiting on the parts to arrive to be able to repair her car, meaning she's had no choice but to extend her car rental for another week. So far, she's spent £1,010 on the rental (for just two weeks) and has 'no idea' how much longer she will need to keep paying for it.

"Contrary to popular belief, I unfortunately don't make enough money to be in a financial position where I can buy a different car," Dr Jones said. "So I'm praying I'm reimbursed by Stellantis at some point. The whole thing is one big mess!"

Even if you haven't received a letter informing you that your car has been recalled, it is worth checking your vehicle's status on the Citroen website's dedicated tool. If you are unable to register online, owners can contact the Recall Helpline on 0800 917 9285.

The Mirror has approached Stellantis for comment, asking whether it tends to reimburse people like Dr Jones - and when all of its recalled cars will be repaired.

Have you been stung by the Citroën recall? Email liam.gilliver@reachplc.com for a chance to share your story